Tastes

Nose: Intense, enveloping sweet honey, vanilla and some wonderful oak aromas. Great complexity in the oak with the various casks being apparent, if not individually identifiable. Like strolling through a sherry bodega. [The dry glass aroma is sweet heather honey and surprisingly reminiscent of Highland Park 18]. Palate: Sweet, rich and fruity. A little touch of spice (allspice, cinnamon), brown sugar, raisins, golden syrup, honey. There is a nice complexity of sweet cider flavours floating over the richer fruit. Finish: Not long, quite short and sweet. This is an immediately appealing whisky with all-pervading honey, caramel and fruit characteristics. Highly drinkable, soothing and completely approachable. This would be a terrific prestige whisky to give that friend who has begun to explore whisky, now finds the usual introductory drams to be a bit simple, and is craving more, but does not have the palate for highly peated or maritime spirits, or for intense sherry finishes. On the other hand it could be overly sweet and cloying for some palates so I’d recommend a trial taste before buying a bottle. It’s the same price as the Balvenie 17 year Doublewood but is a much softer and more caramel-based experience. In terms of quality the two are roughly equivalent, but the profile of the 17 year may be more interesting to the experienced palate. I have to confess to being rather partial to this, so I'm being generous with the score. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Scotland, September 2017. Distillery tasting (from notes) Nose: Sweet with thin honey and light malty cereal aromas almost like buttered popcorn. Fruity notes are evident, mainly orchard fruits (apples, pears, peaches), plus a filament of vanilla sewing it all together. Not a particularly complex nose, and quite light, but enjoyable. [The dry glass has an aroma of honey, almost like mead]. Palate: Silky soft and smooth on the arrival – so smooth – light and airy like a lemon soufflé. A light and not particularly rich texture. More honey, and slightly heavier fruity notes in the development. Apples, pears, apricots. Finish: Short, but not abrupt. The light sweetness that is prominent throughout carries on until the end and there is a touch of spice. This has a dainty character. It is sweet and fragrantly fruity but and does not come across as cloying. It's the sweetness of light fruit juice, not syrup. This would be an agreeable, light, everyday dram if it were more reasonably priced, but as it is it's not particularly good value. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Some caramel and fruit, but it's quite low key. Light bodied and not a whiff of smoke. Palate: Far better than the nose. Ultra soft arrival with delightfully light and subtle fruity flavours, featuring sweet oranges. Very creamy, but not honey sweet, and a little touch of smoke does show up on the palate. Well balanced for a blend in this price range. Finish: Short, and a slight let-down after the development as it trails off into a tannic finale that is a little too bitter, like over-brewed English Breakfast tea. If not for the somewhat disappointing finish this would be a very good blend for the money. I wish they had chosen better casks and treated them more gently. The nose is also a bit too retiring for my preference. It’s still a step up from the entry-level White Label but it fails to realize its full potential. A good mixer with soft drink where sugar balances the hard finish, but it only just stands up to neat tasting, and only just makes it across the line for 3 stars. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)

Inexpensive blends reviews: Addendum. Nose: Fairly generic malt notes, sherry and grain whisky. Not overly impressive but thankfully free of the rubbery taint often encountered in inexpensive blends, and with a certain full and generous presence. Palate: Again, quite full and fruity with raisins and some sherry notes. Nutty flavours and a Christmas pudding character, but a little dilute. Hard to dislike. Finish: Fairly short with the fruity sweetness lingering but finally decaying into a slightly sour note, which is the only real mis-step. For an inexpensive blend this is not bad. There is a most pleasant smoothness, almost a creamy sensation, to the mouthfeel but I wouldn’t call it rich. Good body and taste, although the nose is somewhat distant. Water does not improve it, and it is quite pleasant neat. As a mixer it gets a bit lost but adds an agreeable fruity sweetness to soda or cola. You need to A-B taste this neat against other cheap blends to appreciate how good it is. Recently this was awarded a slew of accolades and is currently (mid 2018) being touted in popular magazines and sites as a giant-killer and the best thing in whisky ever. Nonsense. It’s a good mid-shelf blend that represents exceptional value - that's all. The price is close to the bottom of the range, but it is competitive against big name blends costing $10-15 more. “Average” : 76/100 (2.5 stars)

Scotland, September 2017 (from notes). The tour guide pours me a dram, I nose and ... HANG ON - THIS IS LAPHROAIG ... Oh, no it's not. That's the immediate impression. The most Laphroaig-y Ardbeg ever. Once I got over the oblique association I started to taste this properly, and it's not at all a bad dram. Nose: Very smoky, with the phenolic, tarry, hospital bandage quality that is normally not part of the Ardbeg arsenal of aromas. However their trademark sweetness is also lurking in an array of fruity aromas that slowly start to emerge from the depths (some time in the glass, warming and a drop of water helps this happen). Stewed fruits / tinned fruit salad / grapefruit / pineapple / even some faint cherry and apple danish (!). Palate: Smooth, smoky, nutty, sea wrack and flotsam starting to decompose on a sandy strand with gulls crying overhead. It's a very evocative taste. As it develops it turns spicy with ginger, anise, caraway, cloves and allspice plus some citrus zest. Again, it’s slightly different from its Ardbeg stablemates. Finish: The smokey peat and brine fades out into an interesting salt/sweet/citrus finish, that is satisfyingly long. A class act, and pretty stunning for what is almost certainly a young NAS. My only reservation is the price, which is a bit steep. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Scotland, September 2017 (from notes). Nose: Classic Ardbeg sweet smoke with some sharp gingery and pepper spices that never quite dethrone the sweet, briny seaweed smells. There's some pine resin and even star anise in there as well. Palate: Sweet and peaty to start with, developing into a most unusual combination of creamy, oily and dry spices plus a whiff of smoked ham and smoked herring. Underneath there's some aniseed and something like chewing tobacco, but mild, and some orange marmalade. Finish: Long, sweet and rich but touches of dark chocolate keep any sense of being cloying at bay. A little citrus at the very end. A young but well-behaved NAS that provides a nice experience overall and is a good addition to the core range. There is an unmistakable similarity to the 10 year old but more diversity of aroma and flavor, however there is also arguably less focus and depth. It’s wider but not as deep, if you take my meaning, and a bit sweeter. 46.6% is the perfect strength for this - I enjoyed it neat, with a drop of water, and even quite heavily watered (even right down to about 30% abv). Very good in every guise. The name "An Oa" (pronounced "Anne-O") means "The O", in reference to a rounded peninsula on Islay and is a conceit referring to the rounded nature of the dram. Top stuff at a reasonable price. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Scotland, September 2017. Distillery tasting. Whisky #15. Nose: Initially floral and pine resin. Later woody vanilla, caramel and brine. Palate: Dry spicy arrival, then developing woody, sherry and raisin notes. Toasted grain and brown bread. Finish: Long and quite dry. Brine and bitter orange at the conclusion, with a little dark chocolate. Water softens the nose and the sharp pine resin aroma changes to dusky oak. A little sweetness comes out in the palate which is nice, but it also introduces some sourness into the finish and it remains very dry in overall character. It's an OK whisky, but my least favourite of their expressions - it’s just not up there with the very nice 15 year old or the lovely Victoriana and isn't great value at the price. “Average” : 77/100 (2.5 stars)

Scotland, September 2017. Whisky #14, distillery tasting. Nose: Fragrantly floral pineapple and mango aromas dance over a base of caramel fudge, hazelnuts, and slight woody notes. As it rests in the glass with a dash of water it evolves deeper fruity notes. [The dry glass presents smoke, with a slight floral honey overtone]. Palate: Gloriously rich and full, red berries, vanilla, brine, dark chocolate, coffee, malt, creme brûlée with honeycomb crusting. There is an old-style character to this palate and the texture is satisfyingly mouth-coating without being cloying. Finish: Long. Sweet spicy notes, roasted nuts, pepper and salt. As pleasant as the nose is when neat the high ABV locks the aromas down tightly so adding a generous dash of water and giving it time to sit and open up is highly recommended. The name Victoriana was very well chosen for this malt as it is both old-school in profile and also curiously evocative. I had a mental image of looking through a window on a snowy winter's evening at a dinner table groaning with rich plum pudding and Christmas cake. Very Dickensian, very Victorian. Similarly, the palate gains complexity from watering - particularly the unleashing of a full and rich spicy kick into the finish and some delightfully sweet smoke. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this whisky the is the sherry influence, which flits masterfully between dry and sweet. I suspect that this is the key to its whole character. This is a fine whisky that deserves and repays time and attention. Try it in different dilutions and give yourself plenty of space to appreciate the facets it can present. For this beguiling complexity alone it deserves attention. A very satisfying discovery that capped off my visit to the distillery. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Scotland, September 2017. Whisky #12 Nose: Fruity, vanilla, honey. Palate: Honey sweet with raisin and milk chocolate notes. Sweet rich and rounded. Finish: Medium, mainly fruity sweet. Nice whisky, very easy to drink. A few drops of water opens it up. Hard not to like but lacking the complexity to make it really interesting. The Dalwhinnie 15 year is less immediately sweet and rich but has a more subtle, and ultimately more rewarding, profile. I'd rate them as roughly equal with this expression having a slightly sweeter presentation overall. Good value, and nothing in particular to criticize. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)